Ground dont like the way it’s treated, So it’s moving back to the sea.

Album Review: The Kings of Limbs – Radiohead

radiohead the kings of limbs

The album was released today suprising and I’m listening to it as I review it, let’s begin. Also, remember these tracks I review upon 1 listen, the first listen. In time I will probably in love with alot of these songs.

1. Bloom 7/10 – This track beings with a nice electronic feel then intergrates a vary repeatative and spastic drum loop, the drums continue throughout the song. A very abstract landscape but sorta with a path that leads to somewhere rather then nowhere. It’s a journey’s beginning. You are now sucked into the vortex of what is to become Radioheads next masterpiece [hopefully I aint jumping the gun here]. The Track sorta ends on the note it began with, with a sexy little bass outro. Nice vibe.

2. Morning Mr Magpie 7/10 – As soon as this track begins I am already enjoying the instrumental to the song. Let’s let Thom dwelve a little more into the vocal support. At this point in the album, it feels like we just ate some acid and are speeding through the cosmos. Halfway through the track, Thom strats humming in harmony with the instruments, this is a very beautiful focul point of the song for me. After this mini breakdown into the middle, the track kicks back into full swing. The ending of the song slowly starts to pick up near the end, going into mini chaos and again re positioning itself in a solid form. a solid track. I’m enjoying the main riff throughout the song, reminds of a nice blue sky.

3. Little By Little 8/10 – Little By Little begins with some rattleing instrumentals that are reminicent of “Reckoner” on their last release. The singing style aswell brings us back to their last release – In Rainbows. This song seems to take on a more alternative, rock style format type song then the two previous songs, which i’d place more in a electronica type of vibe. This is more in your face. Maybe Safe, Maybe Familiar, who knows? It fits well. The guitar is so soothing on all these tracks, alot of apreggio style riffs, ect. Drums very nice as usual. Actually I can’t take anytihng away from the men who make the music behind this band, They know what to do. The ending of the song is beautiful.

4. Feral 8/10 – Song begins again with the spastic drums and loopy electronic beats. The song is very different, very avant garde. Thom singing along with the electronic keys, making little noises. A very strange sound, very beautiful and dark. This song is most interesting for me so far, the methods used, of reverb, fading, ect. A very wonderful effort put there. Thom is on his game in this song, pulling into him all the vibes created by the music surrounding him. I can feel being pulled into the music on this song, just taking you away. Close your eyes and tilt your head back and listen. It’s a very insane song, very different. A round of applause is diserved for tracks like this, reminding all of us why Radiohead is such a respected group in the busienss. Also why we all ache for new material to be released by them.

5. Lotus Flower 9/10 – I feel as if I’m travelling through some type of wetlands at night, running with the spot lights on to me. No matter how well I hide, they will find me. This song also has more familiar vocal work from Thom, easy to feel. This is probably the most familiar type song, easiest song so far. Very beautiful vocal work from thom on this. A deffinit ear pleaser. The effects radiohead use on their music fits everything up in its right place. So far, this is probably the highlight of the album from me, deffinitly the first song I will listen to again after the album is finished playing. The ending is perfect.

6. Codex 10/10 – The keys on this, the heavy hitting piano with the flanging effects in the background is overwhelmingly beautiful. Thom picks up and begins singing. This so far, is very, very vibrant and lively to me. I can feel a million things at once. Old memories and what is to come, a beautiful piece. A song to the march of death. Wow, there is a part of this song with everything harmonizing, bringing a feeling of isolation but it’s not empty. Something is there, maybe a old home to spent the rest of eternity by yourself alone inside. A painful reminder of what life was like and what its become, how were all searching for that ever running nothing. This is hands down my favorite piece so far, disregard the previous statement on the last song. This is deffinitly my favorite piece on this album, thus far.

7. Give Up The Ghost 7/10 – Coming into the second last song on the album, with the beautiful voice of thom yorke with some old acoustics, a little bit of eletronica to finish it off. Very beautiful start. At this point it is clear, it isnt just a random collection of songs, these are a set, to be listented to as a whole, not indivually, you will loose the point and the overall mood of the record. The guitar on this track is very peaceful and mind bending. A lovely feeling of old and new. Very repeative, alot on this record seems to be this way.

8. Seperator 10/10 – Looks like we are already here, the last track. The closing ceremony to the journey. This song begins with a very spacious feel once again the drums and thom bring it back to reality and tie it to the ground. A very strong piece of initial listen, The work on this, is beautiful. Another wonderful piece. The background vocals on this piece are very enjoyable, the whole piece on this is very, very well done. I love it this song already. I feel like the sun is finally starting to come out, after a long night of hell. The rain is over and we are left with a gentle mist in the air, the sun beams shining through the clouds, walking onto the edge of a cliff overlooking the rest of the world. Debating whether or not to go off the cliff, thinking hard. Turning around at the end, smiling and releasing it’s all nothing. Laughing on your way home. This song is actually making me happy in some way. It feels free. A CONTENDER for my favorite piece on the album. This track was deffinitly a fitting ending to a beautiful array of magic sounds. Honestly, this is what music is. It’s a collection of music made together to generate one overall feeling and objective. The song has finished.

In conclusion, the album is another work of art. A example of what music is and should be about. A group, working collectively to create a set of songs, that flow together as one long piece of work. For example, Reading a comic book to reading a novel. That is what it is like to listen to a Radiohead album compared to the general majority of releases. This album is music. Radiohead never seem to dissapoint me, no matter what they do. It’s way more different then IN Rainbows and shines a little light on the Kid A days, but not revisiting the old. It’s hard to explain really. I think you should judge it for yourself.